Territory



(NOM-adem' L. N. BEDFORD.

GAR GOUPLING.A No. 259,081.v l Patented June 6, 1882.

. of Sioux Falls, in the county of Minnehaha FFF. Fares AFENT OFFICE.

LYMAN N. BEDFORD, OF sioux FALLS, DAKOTA' TERRITORY.

crm-COUPLINGL SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,081, dated June 6, 1882.

Application filed February 6, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, -LYMAN N. BEDFORD,

and Territory of Dakota, have invented certain Improvements in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is' to produce an automatic coupling` which may be operated composed of two hookedjaws of peculiar convstruction and arrangement, arranged to open one upward and the other downward; in pe culiar devices for operating said jaws; in a hook or latch operating in connection therewith, and in other details which will be hereinafter described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure l represents a perspective view of one end of a oar having my improvement applied thereto, the platform or buffer being omitted to expose the coupling device to view. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the center of the drawhead. Fig. 3 is a transverse section ofthe same on theline y y, Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a perspective view, showing the connection between the two operating-shafts.

A represents an ordinary car-bod y, and B a horizontal rock-shaft extended transversely below the end of the body and sustained in hangers or brackets a, depending therefrom. This shaft B is provided at its end with hand wheels or levers b, by which it may be operated by an attendant standing at the side of the car.

U represents a vertical shaft mounted in bearings upon the end of the car, and provided at its upper end with a hand-wheel or equivalent operating device, o. The shaft C extends downward past a horizontal shaft, and the two are united, as clearly represented in Figs. 1 and 4, by means of two chains, d and e-the former wound first around the shaft C and thence around the shaft B, and the latter also wound around the two shafts in like manner, but in the opposite direction, as plainly represented. Theresult of this arrangement is that upon turning the vertical shaft U in either direction the chains are caused to impart a positive motion therefrom to the shaft B, one chain being slackened as the other is strained. While from springing under the strain of the chains,

a bearing block or bracket,f, is mounted loosely upon the horizontal shaft and provided with a stop or socket, through which .the lower end of theV vertical shaft passes.

The coupling-head is located `centrally beneath the end of the car, as usual. It consists of two hookedjaws, F and G, the former having its hook or lip on the under side, and the latter having a somewhat similar hook on the upperside. The upperjaw, F, is mounted upon a horizontal pivot, L, passing through cheekplates or equivalent devices on the under side of the car-body, so that the forward end ofthe jaw is free to rise and fall. The lowerjaw, G., has its rear end mortised into'and pivoted at .the point t' within the upper jaw, as clearlyr represented in Fig. 2, the lower jaw being provided, as shown in said figure, with a shoul der, lr, lwhich engages with acorrespondmg shoulder in the upper jaw to resist the pulling strain and relieve the pivot t'.

It will be observed that the hooked portions of the two jaws stand in different vertical planes, the lower jaw being at one side-of the upper. This arrangement is for the purpose of enabling bothjaws to engage with the two corresponding jaws of a similar draw-head.

The jaw F rests near its middle on an eccentric, D, mounted on the horizontal shaft, while the jaw G rests in like manner upon a second eccentric, E, also mounted on said shaft. The two eccentrics project in diametrically-opposite directions, or substantially so, so that on turning the shaft in the proper direction the eccentric D will elevate the jaw F, while at the same time the eccentric E will lower the jaw G, the two jaws being thus moved simultaneouslyr in opposite directions. A reverse movement of the shaft and ecoentrics causes the two jaws to close together.

On referring to Fig. 3, it will be observed that, inasmuch as the lower jaw G is pivoted to the upper jaw at a point in advance of the pivot of the latter, the elevation of the upper jaw raises the rear end of the lower ICO eccentric as a fulcruln, whereby the forward end of the lower jaw is depressedthat is to say, the elevation of the upper jaw serves at the same time to depress the end of the lower jaw. In View of this fact the eccentric E is not absolutely necessary; but, as a better action ot' the parts is secured it is preferred to retain it.

The upper jaw, being ofgreater weight than the lower jaw, serves in descending to throw the end of the lowerjaw upward, so that the two hooks will close together automatically when released from the action ot' the eccentries.

Thecoupling-head constructed and arranged as above described will be opened by and will engage automatically with a corresponding head when the two are brought together by the movementof the cars. When thus engaged the two heads, while permitting limited motion of the cars with reference to each other, will maintain a rm connection between them while they remain upon the track; but in the event ot' the cars being thrown from the track, or being otherwise thrown to a great extent out of line with each other, the coupling-head will automatically disconnect.

In order to adapt the head for use with ordinary links and draw-bars, I pivot to the npper end a draft-hook or nger, I, arranged to swing downward through a vertical slot in the lower jaw. When the jaws are opened apart the lower end of the finger I may bc inserted into the slot in the lower jaw; but upon closing the jaws together the lower end ot' the linger is caught and retained by the lowerjaw,

as represented in Fig. 3, the finger being thus` locked in position and caused to retain firmly the link or draftbar.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The coupling-head consisting of the two hooked pivotedjaws, having their hooked ends arranged to swing in different vertical planes, and means, substantially as described, for moving said jaws simultaneously in opposite di rections.

2. In combination with the upwardly-movi ng jaw, pivoted at its rear end, the lower jaw pivoted thereto at amiddle point, and a bearing or fulcrum to the lowerjaw, located in advance of its pivot, whereby the elevation of the upper jaw is caused to depress the lower jaw, and vice versa.

3. In combination with the hooked jaws F and G, arranged to move in opposite directions,the two eccentrics D and E, located thereunder, as shown and described.

4. In combination with the two couplingjaws, as described, the eccentrics and the horizontal eccentric shaft, the vertical shalt, con nectcd with the horizontal shaft by chains, as described and shown.

5. 1n combination with the hooked jaws F and Gr, arranged to open in opposite directions, the finger I, pivoted to one of thejaws, and arranged to engage at its free end with the opposite jaw, as described and shown, whereby the movement of the jaws is caused to lock and unlock the finger.

LYMAN N. BEDFORD.

Witnesses:

GEO. M. PARDOE, E. BEDFORD. 

